title: Azithromycin in the treatment of a dog infected with Giardia intestinalis.
abstract: Giardia intestinalis infection is a common cause of diarrhoea in humans and other mammalian species throughout the world. This report describes a case of a dog suffering from diarrhoea, infected with G. intestinalis, effectively treated with azithromycin. Azithromycin is an azalide, semisynthetic macrolide antibiotic having a large spectrum of activity against bacterial pathogens and some protozoa. In this case, Giardia infection in a dog was confirmed by microscopic examination and PCR. Sequencing of the detected Giardia amplicon confirmed infection with assemblage A-I. The dog received azithromycin administered at dose of 10 mg/kg per os, once a day for 5 days. After the therapy, the diarrhoea stopped. Effectiveness of the treatment was also confirmed by PCR and microscopic examination. This is the first report on the therapy of canine giardiosis with azithromycin. It seems that azithromycin can be considered as promising antibiotic for the control of Giardia infection in dogs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw Agricultural University, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland. wojciechzygner@yahoo.pl
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zygner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jaros
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gójska-Zygner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wedrychowicz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D016829:Giardia lamblia; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin